One Response to Mgomo wa madaktari

Thanks for this information Dr. Faustine. All you say is absolutely true, and I also respect your take onto what should be the next step. As a stakeholder in the health sector and so do you, improving the quality and safety of health services in this country and wherever else, requires meeting the needs and expectations of both internal [healthcare workers] and external [patients and community] customers. These needs and expectations are variable but at the end of the day they are all determinant factors for success.

My analysis of this situation, doctors are for the first time in history demanding for both internal and external customers rights, expectations and needs. I am a bit disappointed by the breeze of the discussion in the sense that everyone is so focused on that doctors should return as the as the government should be addressing their needs. One could argue that this are possible, but think about hepatitis B vaccine – such a crucial but affordable intervention. Currently the Ministry is not providing for this and it is truly unacceptable. What about medical insurance for doctors? In several occasions I have been approached by colleagues that we make a contribution for fellow doctors who are admitted at Muhimbili Orthopedic Institute and other private hospital, and yet this are the key provider of the service in the country. I can not over-emphasize how the wages are a total mismatch with what these individuals do bearing in mind current inflation rates and the like.

The external ones are more important and I bet if the community could have understood about this, may be they could be the ones denying to go to facilities. These doctors have been complaining about lack of infrastructure, materials, supplies and equipment, factors of which truly compromise the safety and quality of the services offered to patients albeit doctors presence in the facilities.

There are some anecdotal reports on the lack of stuff listed hereunder in a number of reputable hospitals in the country
– Lack or non-functional sterilization facilities [meaning that patients can end up acquiring preventable infections during the course of surgeries and other procedures]
– Lack or inadequate running water and lack of water taps in the facilities [we all know that hand hygiene is the single cheap but efficient and effective intervention]
– Lack of incinerators [meaning that the waste from hospitals get access to the community un-checked, a situation that leads into transmission of infections to the naive community]
– Inconsistent power supply in hospitals
– Lack of maintenance of various equipment rendering hospitals “equipmentless”

These are just examples, but my point is I am not seeing a clear strategy in trying to address these issues, and it is high time that the government take care of the internal clients needs and promptly work together in addressing the external clients needs starting with the most life-threatening ones. There are people in the country who could work with the government in coming up with solutions if given opportunity.